The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 74

Translation: godsn

The voice was bright and light. It wasn't the tense, trembling tone she used when speaking with Yurien.

"First, you untangle the knots like this, then brush it out."

"I see. May I try?"

"Go ahead, grab it. Yes, like that."

The presence of the two who had been slightly apart suddenly became extremely close. Almost overlapping. And just like that, his mood plummeted rapidly. It was astonishing how quickly one's mood could sour.

[Master, surely you're not...]

Yurien moved before the Holy Sword could finish speaking. His actions were faster than thought. He roughly threw open the stable door.

"Oh, and normally you should do the mane before grooming the body—"

Echinacea and Baraha simultaneously turned their heads toward the entrance. Echinacea was practically buried in Baraha's embrace as he stood pressed close behind her. Their fingers entwined as they held the mane together. They looked incredibly intimate.

Seeing that, his mood soured even more than before. A twisting sensation in his gut. It was the moment when the emotion some poet had once called "the green-eyed monster" first took birth within him as jealousy.

What calmed him was seeing how Echinacea tensed up the moment she noticed him. Her sharpened senses turned toward him as if on guard. The girl who had looked so comfortable with Baraha now appeared completely nervous upon seeing him.

Recognizing this was like pouring ice water over boiling lava. Yurien approached them while repeating common sense to himself: it was her freedom to grow close with whomever she chose. He had no right to interfere in her relationships. Despite this internal mantra, his mouth moved of its own accord.

"Baraha."

"Ar Sebat-tiem. Yes, Captain?"

"Baron Tilius is looking for you. You should go see him."

It wasn't entirely a lie. The Baron had mentioned this morning in passing that he needed to tell Baraha to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stop by before leaving, since something had come up—though originally he'd only been supposed to give preliminary training before clocking out. Yurien made this excuse to himself.

"Understood. Eki, finish the grooming and head back. We'll do the rest later— oh, Captain, did you come to use Sylphid?"

Eki. He called her Eki. A nickname for Echinacea. Baraha had addressed her familiarly by nickname. Yurien himself had only spoken with her that one time by the fountain, yet Baraha—who hadn't known her long—was already using pet names. Concealing his turbulent emotions, he replied flatly,

"Yes. Were you conducting squire preliminary training?"

"Yes, sir. We were just grooming, so it's fine to stop now."

As he spoke, his gaze kept drifting to how close they still stood together. The emotion likened to a monster truly was monstrous in its disobedience. He felt extraordinarily violent.

Whether his subconscious reached them or not, Baraha took a step back from Echinacea. Immediately, the boiling sensation subsided slightly.

'What in the... I must be out of my mind.'

While Yurien was dumbfounded at his own state, Baraha was speaking to Echinacea.

"Eki, finish up and head back."

"...Yes, senior."

The end of Echinacea's voice trembled noticeably. As if puzzled by this, Baraha opened his mouth to say more. Yurien reflexively cut him off.

"Baraha. I told you to go see the Baron."

"Ah... Yes, thank you."

Baraha finally left the stable. With just him and her remaining, his churning stomach grew completely still.

[Master, what exactly was that just now?]

The Holy Sword asked, sounding astonished. Having no answer himself, Yurien remained silent.

Echinacea was hurriedly putting away the tools. Her movements were rushed. The brush hit the edge of the bucket and bounced out, rolling to stop at Yurien's feet. He bent to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pick it up. When he extended the brush, Echinacea stiffened as if facing a drawn sword—a stark contrast to how relaxed she'd looked moments ago beside Baraha. A bitter taste filled his mouth.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Huh?"

He asked just in case, though it was plainly obvious she was uncomfortable. Her reflexive question and expression alone were answer enough. She was avoiding him. He had pretended not to remember and deliberately hadn't sought her out since then. Had requesting a spar been a mistake?

If she was going to avoid him, it would be better to never spar again. It was truly regrettable—her talent was dazzling—but if that was what made her uncomfortable around him, then it was something he could let go of.

"If the spar request was burdensome... you can forget about it."

Even as he said this, Yurien failed to realize that he wanted Echinacea herself more than he wanted her as a knight. His heart had simply, naturally chosen that path.

After hesitating, she accepted the tool.

"No, Captain."

"'No' to what?"

"It's not that the spar is burdensome—it was just too generous. I'll let you know when I'm mentally prepared. And, um, thank you for the cloak before. I'll return it soon."

She spoke extremely quickly before abruptly turning away. It was painfully clear she wanted to escape his presence at all costs. So it wasn't about the spar? Was his very existence uncomfortable for her? Did his mere presence wound her? He grew uncharacteristically gloomy.

"So you are uncomfortable with me."

"......"

At his words, she froze mid-step. All he could see was the cascading pink hair and delicate silhouette of her back instead of those vivid eyes. Were her shoulders trembling like they had at the fountain? If she was this averse to him, never appearing before her again might be the kinder choice.

But he had already appointed her as his squire. She was meant to remain by his side indefinitely.

"You'll soon be my squire, so I'd prefer if you didn't find me uncomfortable."

Not wanting to pressure her further, he made a show of leading out his prized steed, Sylphid, while speaking casually. The appointment ceremony hadn't happened yet—he could still revoke the squire designation—but the thought didn't even occur to him. More accurately, his subconscious refused to acknowledge that option.

Echinacea said nothing. She didn't turn around, but neither did she walk away—just stood there, motionless. Yurien moved forward, leading Sylphid as if he'd come for the horse rather than to see her. His steps slowed, as if waiting for her response.

Echinacea's shoulders hitched sharply. She turned to face him.

"May I... ask just one thing, Captain?"

He was so relieved she hadn't turned her back and left. Maybe there was still hope. Afraid his voice might betray his eagerness, Yurien silently met her gaze. Echinacea hesitated, lips parting and closing. Her pale lips quivered—a tiny movement, yet he found himself transfixed.

"Last year, at the Birthday Banquet... you said you'd seen me. But we never spoke. How did you know me? Did I... do something improper?"

Yurien halted before her. Standing this close, his gaze kept tracing her face—the pale, lovely features tilted up at him, the lips moving as she spoke.

Feeling shameless for staring, he activated True Sight. Through it, she was a blazing sun. Her dazzling soul flickered, soaked in unease. She's anxious because of me. The thought pained him.

"Nothing like that. You simply caught my eye."

"Caught your eye? Was it... because of my hair?"

Would agreeing reassure her? He didn't want to lie, but neither could he tell the truth—I saw the ember within your soul. Especially since that ember had kindled tragedy. Yurien sidestepped the question.

"...No, it was personal interest."

The movement of her soul shifted. What had been trembling anxiously now seemed to tilt its head in curiosity. He tried closing his True Sight. Her body, like her soul, was slightly tilting her head. As if the answer was entirely unexpected, her large eyes blinked slowly. The tension that had gripped her entire body loosened naturally, replaced by bewilderment.

"Personal interest... What do you mean...?"

Seeing her ask in such a dazed manner made her appear unbearably lovely and endearing, and Yurien found himself smiling unconsciously. As he smiled, she became even more defenseless. Her eyes fixed on him. Without any tension or wariness, she simply gazed. Feeling inexplicably pleased, his smile deepened further.

'If I smile more, perhaps she'll smile back. I want to see her smiling face. I've never seen it before...'

Lost in thought, Yurien absently reached out his hand. Only when he felt the smooth texture of her hair did he realize what he was doing. He had unconsciously tried to touch her.

'I've gone mad.'

He should withdraw his hand, but if he did so now, he'd have nothing to say. What excuse could he possibly make? As he hesitated, his fingers continued tracing the strands of her hair. The sensation softly winding around his fingertips was so pleasant it sent a slight shiver down his spine.

Amidst this, spotting a stray piece of straw tangled in her hair was nothing short of a miracle. Struggling to appear natural, Yurien plucked the straw and withdrew his hand. He spoke as if brushing it off.

"That question, too—I'll answer it after our spar."

A crease formed between her brows. Her expression twisted as if to say, That's unfair. She grumbled,

"...You said if the sparring request was burdensome, I could forget about it."

The way she subtly pouted while saying this was oddly adorable. He had felt many emotions looking at her, but finding her cute was a first. Her girlish face. Perhaps this was her true self before enduring those nightmares.

The discovery of this entirely new side of her drew a short laugh from Yurien. Just moments ago, his heart had been bitterly heavy, yet now he felt joy so easily. Simply because she had relaxed around him. A fragile hope sprouted—that with time, perhaps she would grow accustomed to him naturally.

"If you dislike it, I cannot force you... But it means I desire that spar with you that desperately."

Someday, I hope you'll be ready to accept everything. He had resolved that even if that day never came, it couldn't be helped—yet he still wished for it. A truly new life, unshackled from the past.

Of course, when that day comes, you might come to hate me, the one who cast you into the abyss.

At the tail end of his smile, guilt clawed at his insides. Afraid it might show, he quickly stepped away. Only after leading Sylphid out of the stables did he steady his breathing.

Yurien glanced back at Sylphid. He hadn't planned to take the horse out—what was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he to do now? There was work piling up, too. The horse blinked its innocent eyes and snorted. He felt too guilty to return Sylphid immediately after Echinacea had just left the stables. Deciding to let the horse run a little ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before bringing it back, he mounted.

Riding Sylphid, he left headquarters. He intended to circle the outskirts of Agenka. As he passed through the town, his eyes caught a general store with its wares spread on display. Among them, something caught his attention.